Victory is mine!

[Rufus]

Jimmy, has anyone had issues with the Carhartt V-Kilt shrinking when washed? I had two pairs of the Carhartt duck fabric jeans, and they both shrank on me. :x

I did get the jeans at a discount store, and they were marked as "irregular", so I don't know if it was just these, or all of that fabric.

The fabric is nice though, and tough. I flew off my bike one day, and went skipping along a sidewalk. The fleece jacket I was wearing looked like a pack of dingoes tore it apart, but there wasn't even a scratch on the jeans!

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Hey Rufus. The Rock knows that the material can shrink, so he takes it across the street to the industrial washing machines and pre-washes and dries it. Even if he didn't, it's REAL easy to wash it in cold water and hang-dry it. All in all, it's an unbelievable material for a kilt!

That Carhardt stuff is TOUGH. I have three pairs of pants that I wear to work, and they take all sorts of abuse! Shame I can't say the same for the body!!!

[Rufus]

"Do you smeeeeeeeelllllllll what the ROCK is washin'?!?"

Thanks for the info Jimmy!

[RockyR]

Hey Rufus... YES the carhardt is all prewashed on HOT and dryed in a dryer on HIGH. This shrinks it up as MUCH as possible before I touch it. The olive and khaki are not as they do not shrink in the wash.

Graham,

The Victory comes with extra pockets (for an extra cost)... the side pocket and front sporran pocket are both FULLY detachable. If you want them, they're there. If you don't (want a slightly more traditional look), you can detach them without ANY lingering hardware.

The OTHER 2 pockets are not detachable... the BACK flap pocket is sewn on and the "HIDDEN PLEAT" pocket is sewn into the inside of a pleat, but you can't see/feel it anyway.

I have definitely gotten an overwhelming response to them. They are lighter weight and have a wider front apron than most other solids out there. That helps to give them a slightly more traditional look as well.

I'm waiting a little while on trying to get black... I have a good workload right now... If I offered black right now, I'd have too much to handle. I also have not found a black material that I find "acceptable" to make my kilts in.

[Graham]

Thanks for that explanation Rocky, the kilts sound great, still not sure if I would wear them, but I'll give it some thought.

I mentioned them at our kilt night tonight, most shared my feelings toward tartan, but hey, someone must make the first move!

[bubba]

I mentioned them at our kilt night tonight, most shared my feelings toward tartan, but hey, someone must make the first move!

Go for it Graham. Being a lab rat isn't all bad. I kinda like the solids really, but I like tartan better. I do have 2 solids I made that I wear for doing chores. I don't worry about getting them dirty.

[Graham]

Thanks Bubba, I will say this tho, and I risk being unpopular in doing so, it only occurred to me tonight that Utilikilts have no front apron, they are pleated, this to me is unacceptable. I could entertain the idea of a plain kilt if it looks like a kilt, but no kilt I know has pleats in the front, it's a skirt! mens' skirt? maybe, but a skirt (sorry about the language).

The Victory Kilt by comparison, has a front, flat, apron, I like it much more. No black, as rocky explained, but the green is nice.

[bubba]

Graham, no question the Victory is a good looking kilt, and really LOOKS like a kilt. Rocky has a winner there. The utility kilt concept is great. Tartans are the best, but when you're doing chores you worry about getting them dirty even knowing the fabric might be easy to clean. It's kind of a mental block. The more utilitarian fabrics don't cause that much concern. It's probably all the years of work pants and jeans causing it, but it's always in the back of your mind.

[Graham]

True Bubba, I work much more carefully these days! I'm looking for an apron, maybe a leather one, that will fully protect the front while working.

[Clan Ewan]

You can't do better than Rocky's answer re shrinkage. I can tell you that my carhardt Victory was sewn so that it is roomy in the waist. In other words, out of the box, it just fits nicely when I snug the velcro all the way to its tighest adjustment. I expect temporary shrinkage on those occassions that it gets washed. Those of you who have carhardt already know that this material likes abuse; washing and wearing just makes it more and more comfortable. However, it comes out of the drier slightly shrunk, then relaxes as you wear it. The way my Victory was made, I'll easily be within the range of adjustability whether the fabric is relaxed, or freshly washed and tighter.

Since my Victory is just days old, I can't offer any insight into how it will weather, but I'll echo a comment I made in my original post. This is the kilt I intend to live in. When I got home last night, I put it on, sat on the wrought iron deck chairs and didn't worry about snagging the fabric. Then I wiped some poly onto a cabinet and as always, was careful not to bump my wet finish, but to protect my finish, not my kilt. When I went to bed, I took it off and threw it in a chair. Now that's a working kilt.

I'll post a picture later this weekend.

Sean